Citizen Science refers to the involvement of members of the general public („citizens“) in the scientific research process. It is a form of public engagement that works across many disciplines and includes different levels of participation. Citizen Science Zurich is a joint initiative of the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, supported by the Mercator Foundation Switzerland. It supports people to engage in different forms of participatory research, aims to increase participation of citizens in academia and wants to enable an effective collaboration between science and society. Using specific project examples, Olivia Höhener will give a quick overview of the different levels of participation in research processes and their advantages and disadvantages. Based on the CS Seed Grants, she will then address why funding bodies should consider funding participatory research and what they need to keep in mind when funding research projects with an intended impact on society.

After studying history, English and media studies, Olivia Höhener worked for 11 years at the Mercator Foundation Switzerland in the fields of research funding, promotion of young researchers, dialogue between science and society and international cooperation. After completing a CAS in research management, she joined the Citizen Science Zurich team in 2021 and, as Managing Director, is currently responsible for the further development of Citizen Science Zurich and its activities, managing the office and coordinating the allocation of Seed funding.

Her areas of expertise include science communication, promoting young researchers, impact-oriented project planning and learning through Citizen Science.

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This webinar is part 3 of a new webinar series organised by the Research working group. The series addresses current issues and challenges in the research funding area.
Part 1 (23 October 2024): Use of AI in research project evaluations
Part 2 (5 December 2024): #ScientainmentGRS: experiences and insights from 10 years of supporting science communication